Unit 4 Past time

Explanations
Fast simple:

1,

:ormation rules

Regular verbs prrt simple regular verbs add -edto the bare infinitive. Verbs ending

in-e

simply add-d.

I enjoyed rhe film.

All persons have the
same

lorted the mwsic.

form.

Spelling problems Verbs ending in consonant + -y change -y to -ie' Verbs ending with one vowel and one consonant double the final consonant.

try tried

crY cried

regret regretted fit fitted

Irregular verbs The mosr common pasr simple irregular verbs are listed on page 246.Itis necessary to learn irregular forms.

eat ate

drink, drank

wake

wok'e

Questions infinitive. Q,r.rtions are formed with did andthe bare Did yow drink all the milk? Did yow enioy tbe film? Whir did yow do yesterday? Why did sbe lea'ue?
Negatives contracted Ne[atives are formed with d,id notand the bare infinitive. This is rc didn'f in speech and informal writing' Carol didn't eat L)ery mwch' Tbe coat-d.idn't fit rne. past simple is used to describe definire events in the past. A definite time expression can be used with these events' I enjoyed the filrn'Lue saw last nigbt' We liitened to soT,te new CDs yesterday afternoon.
Past simple is used to describe habitual actions in the Past'

)-[eaning

. o

Ertery day we got up early and uent to tbe beach'

See

Unit 7 for conrrasrs with present perfect simple.

1.1

I nterme diate Langud,ge

ractice

Past

formation rules

continuous: o

Past continuous is formed

with the past of be and the bare infinitive with

-irg. I

sitting by the door. He uas sleeping. She was drirting. They a)ere eating. We uere crying. You uere laugbing. Past continuous is also called past progressive.
was
\We

Questions form past continuous questions by inverting theverb be.

sleeping? Were yow waiting?

Was

Was he

reading? Were rue zariting?

'Was

she drizting?

Were tbey leaving?

o o

Wb-questions Wbat were yow r"uriting? Wby were tbey waiting?

Negatives
'We

form past continuous negatives with the verb be + not.'Was not ts contracte d to zaasn't, and were not ts contracted to uteren't. I wasn't listening. H e uasn't playing. Tbey w)eren't looking.
Past continuous describes a continuing situation. This is often contrasted

Meaning

with a sudden event. Sudden event Continuing situation wben Rwtb pboned. I was haaing my lwncb While I was uaitingfor ttrte bus, I met Karen.

Past continuous is used to describe a number of continuing situations, as

background description. The airport was full of people. Some w)ere sleeping on benches, some w)ere sbopping, others w)ere reading. Eaeryone'Luas waitingfor news of tbe delayed plane.

It

is also used to describe two continuing situations, which are happening at the same time. While Jim was cooking, David ans phoning a friend.

Time expressions

o o o

With past simple I arrived bere two howrs ago/in September/lastweek/at 6.00. Helen lir.,ed in Madrid for three years. With past continuous Vhile we were waitingfor tbe train, it started to rain.

I cut my finger when I was peeling

Narrative time expressions see

the potatoes.

Unrt29.

t2

Unit 4 Past time 1

Practice
1,

Choose the

.orrect word or phrase from each rair underlined.

while I vrashed/@Elnamy hair, the phone b) How did )'ou felt/did you feel yesterday afternoon? c) \ilhen I reached /was reaching home I received/was receiving David's phone
a)

call. d) Last summer I was going swimming/went swimming every weekend. e) \When the dog bit/was biting Laura's leg, she screamed/was scrqaming.

then ate/eatsome sandwiches. felllfelt over the cliff, what happened/was happening next? h) While Mary washed-up/was washing-up, she broke/was breaking a cup. i) I didn't see/didn't saw where the bus-stop was, so I was missing/missed the
\When you s)

\We sang/sung some songs and

j)

bus. \What did you do/were )rou doing when t pho"edtwas night? There was no reply.

pho"try you last

a) I enjoyed the concert. b) Sue liked the party. c) You ate all the bread. d) Did Tom spend a lot? e) I felt well yesterday.

(negative) (question) (question)

...

I .e[.dn.?. e

ri ty. tlt

p. p.q n p.c

rl'.

(affirmative)
(negative)

Ann didn't buy a car. g) They won the prize.

(affirmative)
(question)

h)

Paul doesn't speak

Polish.

(affirmative)
(negative) (question)

i) j)

I paid all the

bills. Ruth made a mistake.

last

ago in

week at when while

the house ...w11tk........ we were watching television.

a) Two burglars broke into

b)

I met an old friend of mine in the city centre' c) .What were you doing .................. the police officer knocked on the door?
...

d) Jan met

Sarah .................. half-past eight outside the cinema.

... Dick was preparing lu'nch, he cut his finger badly. e) 0 I first came to this town more than twenty years ... he met Sally. g) Ji- was studying to be a doctor

h) Tony bought his first motorbike ............ ...... L992.

i) j)

did you start playing basketball? Most of the young people left this village a long time
...

t3

I nterme diate Language Practice

4
Choose
a

sentence from a) to h) which is the best continuation

of the conversations

beginning 1) to
8).

1) \7hat was carol doing when you knocked on rhe door? ..c.. 2) How did Brenda spend her holid ay? ..... 3) \What happened when the lights went our? ..... 4) \When did you meer Cathy? ..... 5) \Vhat didJean do when Tony called? ..... 6) Did Ann hear what David said? ..... 7) \Vhat did Pat do when the bell rangar the end of the lesson? ..... 8) \7hy did Helen leave so early? ..... a) She went sailing mosr days, and sunbathed at rhe beach.
..b1 She put the phone down. c) She was listening to the radio in the kitchen. d) She went to meet her parents at a restaurant.
She came to my brother's birthday party. While Tina was looking for a rorch, they came back on. ,J) g) She wasn't listening. h) She put her books away and left.

e)

Put each verb given into either past simple or past continuous.

a) \when Harry (wake up) ...t..eke.uf.... ,we (tell) ...te/d.....him the good news. b) Where (you leave) your wallet when you (go)
swimming?

c)

Everyone (wait ) .............

for the concerr to begin when

his lemer, he

a message

(arrive)

d) \flhen Tom (finish)

the post office.

(take)

.......... it to

e)

Pam

(want) (study)

relaxing holiday, so she (choose) abroad, my parents (phone) .............

ro sray on a small island.

When I

me every week.

g) I (find)
pencil sharpener. h) Ann (watch)

my lost pen while I (look for)

.......

...

my

i)

television whenJulie (arrive) .............

vhen

the lights (go

i) *:::::lil]
6
Choose the correct spelling

out)
...

(lie)

in bed reading.

to the new chinese resraurant, whar (you eat)

from each pair of words.

a) siting,@ b) feltlfellt c) tryed/tried d) cryin g/cring e) wasn't/wa'snt

0 enjoyed/enjoied s) thoght/thought h) liveing/living i) shopping/shoping j) heard/heared

k) hidding/hiding
waited/waitted m) plaied /played n) whent/went

l)

o) fitted /fited